In addition to the verbs below (organized by the Bloom's Taxonomy categories), refer to the Webb's Depth of Knowledge verbs.
Category
Action Verbs & Cognitive Processes
Assessment Formats
Remember - retrieve relevant knowledge from long-term memory
Recognizing - comparing knowledge from long-term memory with presented information. Sample learning outcome verbs may include:identify, recognize, select, label, arrange, order, repeat, copy, duplicate, match, associate.
True-false; Multiple choice; Matching items from two lists
Recalling - retrieving knowledge from long-term memory when presented with a question. Sample learning outcome verbs may include:recall, locate, retrieve, list, name, reproduce, state, describe, cite, recite, define, quote.
Questions vary depending on the extent of providing hints and being placed within a larger context
Understand - construct meaning from oral, written, and graphic communication
Interpreting - moving from one form of representation to another. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: represent, interpret, clarify, paraphrase, reproduce, change, modify, convert, transform, translate, restate, rewrite, quantify.
Construct or selecting given information in a different form (e.g. transforming a verbal representation of a system into a use-case diagram)
Exemplifying - finding a specific example of a concept or principle. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: give example, illustrate.
Asking the student to give a constructed or selected example
Classifying - placing something in category. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: group, categorize, classify.
Asking a student to pair an instance with a concept, principle, or category
Summarizing - synthesizing general points. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: summarize, generalize, synthesize, assemble, combine, compile, integrate, consolidate.
Asking a student to produce a theme or summary when presented with an information
Inferring - drawing a logical conclusion from the presented information. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: extrapolate, interpolate, predict, conclude, infer, deduce.
Completion tasks - complete a series; Analogy tasks - complete an analogy; Oddity tasks - determining which of several items does not belong to a list
Comparing - detecting correspondences between two or more entities. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: compare, contrast, map, match, correlate.
Mapping - showing correspondence between respective parts of two entities
Explaining - constructing a cause-and-effect model of a system. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: sequence, explain, diagnose, troubleshoot, repair, redesign, predict, prescribe.
Reasoning - offering a reason for a given event; Troubleshooting - diagnosing the problem in a malfunctioning system; Redesigning - making changes in a system to accomplish some goal; Predicting - determining what effect a change in one part of a system will have on another part of a system
Apply - carry out or use a procedure in a given situation
Executing (carrying out a procedure with a familiar task) - associated with the use of skills and algorithms, applies procedural knowledge. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: carry out, calculate, compute, operate, process, execute, follow, perform, use, utilize, practice.
Applying a well-known procedure to a familiar problem
Implementing (using a procedure with an unfamiliar task) - associated with the use of techniques and methods, applies conceptual knowledge. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: adapt, implement, demonstrate, determine, conduct..
Determining the procedure necessary for solving an unfamiliar problem
Analyze - break material into its constituent parts and determine how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose
Differentiating - distinguishing relevant from irrelevant parts or important from unimportant parts of presented material. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: select, discriminate, distinguish, differentiate, focus on, point out.
Determining which parts in a given material are most important or relevant
Organizing - determining how elements fit within a structure. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: analyze, break down, organize, outline, sketch, draw, diagram, chart, tabulate, parse, separate, subdivide.
Providing an outline, table, matrix, or hierarchical diagram
Attributing - determining a point of view, intent, purpose. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: attribute, ascribe, depict, describe, infer, deduce.
Constructing or selecting a description of the author's point of view or intentions when presented with some written or oral material
Evaluate - make judgments based on criteria and standards
Checking - detecting inconsistencies or fallacies within a process or product (internal inconsistency). Sample learning outcome verbs may include: detect, monitor, coordinate, test.
Detecting inconsistencies or logical flaws in presented information
Evaluating a proposed solution or hypothesis; judging which of several methods provides a better solution to a problem
Create - put elements together to form a structure or reorganize elements into a new structure
Generating - coming up with alternative hypotheses based on criteria. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: generate, hypothesize, theorize, research, experiment, explore.
Producing alternatives or hypotheses - generating alternative methods for achieving a particular result; Consequences tasks - listing all possible consequences of a certain event; Uses tasks - listing all possible uses for an object
Planning - devising a procedure for accomplishing some task. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: design, devise, solve, propose, formulate, plan, prepare, systematize, improve, innovate, refine.
Developing a solution method, describing solution plans, or selecting solution plans for a given problem.
Producing - inventing a product. Sample learning outcome verbs may include: write, construct, produce, compose, invent, create, program, build.
Developing a novel product that satisfies a description
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: identify, recognize, select, label, arrange, order, repeat, copy, duplicate, match, associate.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: recall, locate, retrieve, list, name, reproduce, state, describe, cite, recite, define, quote.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: represent, interpret, clarify, paraphrase, reproduce, change, modify, convert, transform, translate, restate, rewrite, quantify.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: give example, illustrate.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: group, categorize, classify.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: summarize, generalize, synthesize, assemble, combine, compile, integrate, consolidate.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: extrapolate, interpolate, predict, conclude, infer, deduce.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: compare, contrast, map, match, correlate.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: sequence, explain, diagnose, troubleshoot, repair, redesign, predict, prescribe.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: carry out, calculate, compute, operate, process, execute, follow, perform, use, utilize, practice.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: adapt, implement, demonstrate, determine, conduct..
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: select, discriminate, distinguish, differentiate, focus on, point out.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: analyze, break down, organize, outline, sketch, draw, diagram, chart, tabulate, parse, separate, subdivide.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: attribute, ascribe, depict, describe, infer, deduce.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: detect, monitor, coordinate, test.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: grade, score, judge, reason, appraise, assess, defend, estimate, argue, rank, rate, support, review, critique, justify, recommend, prove, disprove, refute, qualify, criticize, verify, evaluate, discuss.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: generate, hypothesize, theorize, research, experiment, explore.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: design, devise, solve, propose, formulate, plan, prepare, systematize, improve, innovate, refine.
Sample learning outcome verbs may include: write, construct, produce, compose, invent, create, program, build.